I'm thinking that, instead of a rounded top on a flat platform, you could make the whole body out of a piece of tubing. Build a domed end for the front. It wouldn't need a frame under it; just a couple cradle pieces for the hitch in front and the wheels in back. That would likely be better at handling wind gusts from the sides. Maybe form it out of a few layers of thin plywood. I think you can buy pre-made plywood cylinders, but they're really high-priced.

I had one of my builds at one time on cgoab. It was the conestoga wagon shaped one. It was pretty much a cylinder shape as it were. When photobuckets started messing up my pictures, I deleted it. I will start a new build thread and I now use Imgur for pictures. It will be a little while yet though. This bug is tough to shake.

I had been planning on packing tents and going on biking/camping trips this Spring/Summer/Fall with my kids and our 4 Cruzbikes, but now this has me thinking about building little camping trailers. One to accommodate all four of us, or build a single-person camper for each of us?

Totally cool and very thoughtful design, but a crosswind nightmare. With the trailer's wind profile, I would think a lower profile cargo trailer and a pop up shelter would be a more manageable solution in all sorts of conditions. I think the cargo trailer / pop up shelter combination could also be made seriously lighter.

Agree. A cargo trailer with a pop-up design would be all-around great.

Possibly a flip-out, structural floor area to accomodate an already available tent!!! Oh, yeah!

Would be too easy to stack simple-to-make floor "areas" in a cargo trailer.
Connect them together, and then simply pitch a production tent upon that wooden floor surface.

Least wind resistance area when pedaling along bike path too!

J.S.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recumbent Convert

Totally cool and very thoughtful design, but a crosswind nightmare. With the trailer's wind profile, I would think a lower profile cargo trailer and a pop up shelter would be a more manageable solution in all sorts of conditions. I think the cargo trailer / pop up shelter combination could also be made seriously lighter.

I should have my new utility trailer in the next couple of days. I am thinking of using a light weight folding cot with fiberglass poles, bungee or other stretchy cord, and lo ops, to make a pop up bed and tent. I was going to use the cot and wheels, but the trailer would let me carry more stuff.

The taller trailers are a night mare in cross winds. They look cool and roomy, but in windy conditions, they are a hazard.

They do make a pair of combo tent/cots. Solo and dual person models. (See at Bass Pro or Cabelas).
Problem is for cyclists, is that even the solo model folded unit is still full width (too wide?).
Set up to camp in, it looks very useful to cyclist's needs.

A tent or camper above a trailer allows needed vertical height for arthritic legs to touch ground for moving in/out of camper.
Ideally(?), mobility is improved by sitting upright on elevated camper/tent floor with feet on ground.

Cyclists camping along bike trails could grow in a major way.

Building of homemade campers could see a huge increase in participation!
Potentially, a very creative hobby within a hobby.

I do hope that the home-building of campers for cyclists becomes popular.

Please keep us posted,

J.S.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snailsrus

I should have my new utility trailer in the next couple of days. I am thinking of using a light weight folding cot with fiberglass poles, bungee or other stretchy cord, and lo ops, to make a pop up bed and tent. I was going to use the cot and wheels, but the trailer would let me carry more stuff.

The taller trailers are a night mare in cross winds. They look cool and roomy, but in windy conditions, they are a hazard.

I should have my new utility trailer in the next couple of days. I am thinking of using a light weight folding cot with fiberglass poles, bungee or other stretchy cord, and lo ops, to make a pop up bed and tent. I was going to use the cot and wheels, but the trailer would let me carry more stuff.

The taller trailers are a night mare in cross winds. They look cool and roomy, but in windy conditions, they are a hazard.

Best of luck and post pics when you have something fabricated.

The options of how to go about bike camping are vast. ADC, a frequent contributor here, loads up frame bags with everything he needs (including a tent) on an LWB. The other end of the spectrum, I think, is a camper (like the one which started this thread). As Jason suggested, somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are tent / cots. Lot's of creative options exist for converting a trailer into a cot bed.